KC Riverfront Heritage Trail

[dangerboy]

Hah, I made that site   But I need to update it because the money for the underpass is in place.  It's been discussed in one of the many other riverfront trail threads.  Construction should start this fall and be done by spring 2008.

[TheBigChuckbowski]

Hah, I made that site   But I need to update it because the money for the underpass is in place.  It's been discussed in one of the many other riverfront trail threads.  Construction should start this fall and be done by spring 2008.

I don't know how I missed that.

How's funding for the rest of the trail?

[dangerboy]

Funding is mostly complete for the currently-planned trail.  This year there will also be construction on a connector from the Woodsweather bridge to Kaw Point Park, and on a big segment of trail under I-670 through the West Bottoms.    There is also a good chance that the a new Forester viaduct being constructed in the West Bottoms will include the trail, which will get it over the railroad tracks and up to Beardsley Road and into the loop.

[KCTigerFan]

That is great news.  Thanks for the update! 

[kc-vino]

My friend for shits and giggles (especially giggles) took this whole trial and said it was the most hysterical experience ever.  He was saying it stops and starts, having little to no logical flow.  I've seen it downtown, walked it and it really is quite ludicrous.  One minute your on the river, next you have to step up stairs with your bike, then you weave around blocks while changing directions every 1-2 blocks, ride through a sea of surface parking on broken sidewalks in the Garmet district, smash into a brick wall, dodge a dumpster on the trail as you go behind a DST building, descend into light industrial in the west bottoms, have to take the trail on operating train tracks, on and on.  Alright some of that was made up but the trail is very random and not very well connected. 
Why isn't this city pursuing its Levy's used for flood plains?  Right along 18th street express way their is one that probably goes right into downtown.  And despite how industrial the area is at least you are along a wooded river.

[KCTigerFan]

I too have always thought the levee's should be used for biking/hiking trails.  I know from past discussions that the people who control the levee's are nutty when it comes to any use and access to them.  They fear damage or destruction.

Then again the crazy ass ride post by KC-Vino sounds like a blast!    That is why I ride a mountain bike with street tires on KC rides now.  You can easily take the potholes and construction zones.  However, my experience with a KCATA bus yesterday at 8th and Grand just about left me as a statistic.  I follow all road rules first of all.  I was in the middle lane headed south since the right lane had parked cars and a bus stopped picking up passangers.  As I approached the red light at 8th the bus suddenly pulls out right into my lane and proceeds to run the red light while almost taking me under the rear tire.  As the light changed to green and I proceeded another bus came by and opened his window.  The nice driver told me that he saw what happened and was going to let his manager know that the driver of the other bus was out of line.  I also reported it (Bus #S36 for reference).  Sure would be nice to have actual bike lanes in KCMO!   

[kard]

Sounds like we've got two more folks who'd like to join the fight for better facilities--awesome.

Go sign up here for Missouri Bicycle Federation Advocacy updates:  http://mobikefed.org/email.php#advocacyalerts

It'll provide you with ways you can voice your support for future improvements, like lanes and the completion of the trail.

[DaveKCMO]

Sure would be nice to have actual bike lanes in KCMO!     

there's a nice bike lane on barry road calling your name.  &&&

[KCTigerFan]

Yes, I hear the sites and sounds of Barry Road are wonderful this time of year.  &&&

I like my urban rides to be urban and my rural rides to be rural (Katy Trail).  In spite of the risk of KC drivers and roads, I like my weekend morning rides from Brookside through DT, Northeast, Westside...  It is a great way to enjoy what is really a great city while also taking some serious hills and getting a good training ride in.   

[dangerboy]

Vino, the trail is disconnected because it isn't finished yet.  They are building parts of it as they find the money.  This time next year it should be finished from KCK to the Isle of Capri and south to Union Station.

Building a real "riverfront" trail on the levees is still difficult here.  I can vouch for the fact that the people building trails are continuously trying to get access to the levees. It's an ongoing struggle to convince the levee districts to allow trail access.  But progress is happening.  Riverside included a trail on their new levee.  It isn't officially open yet, but if you can see it today on the west side of the Argosy casino.

[kc-vino]

Dangerboy, this is good information.  I'm excited because the MO river is really quite beautiful.  Yes it is rather industrial but it is very wooded and has some good angles to enjoy it.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I ride with my GF quite a bit and she isn't real comfortable on the city streets so we wind up on the trails out in the burbs.  The drive is a pain in the ass but the trails are great.  It would be great if they could get something of that caliber built closer to DT. 

[dangerboy]

It's hard to build these suburban-style, off-street trails in a developed urban area.  You have to preserve stream corridors and greenway corridors before development happens, unless you want to start demolishing buildings to build a trail. 

LenexatoKCMO, you do have the Trolley Track Trail only 4 miles from Downtown.  It would be great if it could be extended all the way to Downtown, but there is no contiguous open space to do this.

Eventually KC will have trails along the Missouri River, Blue River, and the rest of Brush Creek - but it's a long-term project.

[LenexatoKCMO]

It's hard to build these suburban-style, off-street trails in a developed urban area.  You have to preserve stream corridors and greenway corridors before development happens, unless you want to start demolishing buildings to build a trail. 

LenexatoKCMO, you do have the Trolley Track Trail only 4 miles from Downtown.  It would be great if it could be extended all the way to Downtown, but there is no contiguous open space to do this.

Eventually KC will have trails along the Missouri River, Blue River, and the rest of Brush Creek - but it's a long-term project.

Yeah we have been meaning to give the trolley track a shot - just stuck in our rut.  I was out in DC last week and noticed all of the folks using the nice trails along the Potomac and thought how nice it would be to have something like that available in DTKC. 

[artistboy]

Sure would be nice to have actual bike lanes in KCMO!     

My university put in real bike lanes and it made a great difference. Before the bike lanes, it was like dodging traffic at times with all the bikers whizzing by between day time classes, sometimes actually clipping walkers with their handle bars! I couldn't find any pics but the web site pretty much describes it:
"The bikeways are identified by red-colored concrete and brick outlines, and are marked with a bicycle symbol."
I'll add that they basically built an identical sidewalk next to the original ones, but the bike paths were tinted red concrete so you knew it was only for bikes. It's not realistic to do this here, except on park land maybe. Any one else familiar with or have pics of the Missouri State bike paths I'm talking about?

[KCTigerFan]

My university put in real bike lanes and it made a great difference. Before the bike lanes, it was like dodging traffic at times with all the bikers whizzing by between day time classes, sometimes actually clipping walkers with their handle bars! I couldn't find any pics but the web site pretty much describes it:
"The bikeways are identified by red-colored concrete and brick outlines, and are marked with a bicycle symbol."
I'll add that they basically built an identical sidewalk next to the original ones, but the bike paths were tinted red concrete so you knew it was only for bikes. It's not realistic to do this here, except on park land maybe. Any one else familiar with or have pics of the Missouri State bike paths I'm talking about?

It is completely realistic to do here.  There is no reason that we cannot take portions of select roadways and construct bike lanes.  Madison Wisconsin has probably the best bike system in the Country.  They have a mix of painted lanes, curbed lanes and off-road paved trails.  I actually keep a bike in Madison as I ride it frequently.  The biggest difference is that the police in Madison actually issue tickets to drivers who don't observe the bike lanes.   

[TheBigChuckbowski]

drool

[kigmee]

Hah, I made that site   But I need to update it because the money for the underpass is in place.  It's been discussed in one of the many other riverfront trail threads.  Construction should start this fall and be done by spring 2008.

I jogged down the trail last night, from the river overlook east to the bridge, and it still stops at the ASB bridge.  From the trail, I can see some sidewalk and steps down by the river, but a big fence prevents access.  Is the project complete?  Are there any plans to open it up?

[KCLofts]

You can walk under the bridge now if you want, but it's a tight squeeze.

I know they needed a fair amount of money, and perhaps the railroad's blessing, to construct an underpass.  So there is certainly a plan, but it has been a plan for quite some time.

[dangerboy]

The underpass project keeps getting pushed back.  They have had a lot of trouble finding the money and coordinating with the railroad and the city. But, I'm told construction might start sometime this fall.